PGA Policy Board Upholds Limit for Foreign Players

By GORDON S. WHITE Jr., Special to The New York Times

Published: October 25, 1989

HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C., Oct. 24—
The PGA Tour Policy Board on Monday rejected a proposal to cut from 15 to 12 the number of American tour events a foreign player must enter in order to retain membership in the PGA Tour and have freedom to play pro tournaments anywhere he wishes at any time.

Thus, a temporary compromise worked out last summer between Commissioner Deane Beman of the PGA Tour and some of the leading European golfers was turned down by the 10-man board, which consists of four players, three officers of the PGA of America and three independent businessmen.

Beman announced the policy board decision to retain the necessary 15 appearances today, 48 hours before the start of the $5.5 million Nabisco Championship at the Harbour Town Golf Links.

As a result, Seve Ballesteros of Spain will undoubtedly continue to refuse to join the PGA Tour. He will probably limit his American play to about eight tournaments as he has in recent years: the three American major events, which are not part of the PGA Tour, plus the five PGA Tour events that a nonmember is permitted to enter if given sponsor exemptions.

Beman met with Ballesteros, Nick Faldo of England, the Scot Sandy Lyle and some other leading foreign golfers during the United States Open last June at Oak Hills near Rochester, N.Y. He came away with a proposal that would allow foreign players to qualify for an American tour card by playing in three fewer PGA Tour events than before. But there was a catch. If a foreign golfer played in only 12 events, he would be required to play in three specific tournaments listed by the PGA Tour instead of choosing each one he wanted to enter as he could under the 15-tournament requirement. Beman's proposal was scrapped Monday.

In other action, the policy board voted to give the winner of the British Open a 10-year exemption on the American PGA Tour starting with the 1990 Open at St. Andrews. Other tourneys that provide a 10-year exemption for the winner are the United States Open, the Masters, the P.G.A. Championship, the Players Championship and the World Series of Golf.